SCAC Names 2016 Woman of the Year Finalists

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced today the seven finalists for the 2016 SCAC Woman of the Year award. The award recognizes the conference’s senior female student-athlete who has best distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence and service and leadership. Past Winners

Member schools were permitted to submit two nominations if at least one of the nominees was a woman of color or international student-athlete.

This year's finalists include: Lauren Wheeler of Austin College, Olivia Dilorati of Colorado College, Kelsie Jackson of Schreiner University, Kaitlyn Foster of Southwestern University, Sioned Kirkpatrick of Texas Lutheran University, Sofia Vega of Texas Lutheran University and Brigette Lee of Trinity University. 

To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2016 spring season, received her undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2016 term and had a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale).

Scroll below to read a quick bio on each of the seven finalists:

 
Lauren Wheeler, Austin College
Swimming

• Graduated as a Biology major with a 3.60 GPA.
• Three-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2013, 2015 and 2016).
• Five-time SCAC All-Conference performer
• 100 backstroke conference individual champion (2015).
• Two-time winner of Austin College/Gene Day Most Outstanding Female Athlete (2015 and 2016).
• Austin College/Tim Jubela Most Outstanding Freshman Female Athlete (2013).
• Four-time Austin College Swimming MVP (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
• Youth leader with Austin College Activators; Volunteer with Special Olympics and Escuela Primaria e Infantil amongst other organizations.

Olivia Dilorati, Colorado College
Swimming

• Graduated as a Political Science major; Italian minor with a 3.61 GPA.
• Three-time (2014, 2015 and 2016) SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree.
• Three-time (2014, 2015 and 2016) CSAA All-Scholar Recipient.
• CoSIDA Academic All-District Honoree (2016).
• 2016 NCAA All-American (100 butterfly - third place).
• 2014 and 2015 NCAA Honorable Mention All-American (100 butterly).
• 12-time SCAC All-Conference performer; 100 backstroke individual winner (2013); 3-time 200 backstroke individual winner (2013, 2014, 2015); 3-time 100 butterfly individual winner (2014, 2015 and 2016); 50 freestyle individual winner (2016).
• 2016 SCAC Female Swimmer-of-the-Year.
• 2016 Colorado College Female Athlete of the Year.
• Four-time Colorado College Swimming MVP (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
• SCAC Character & Community honoree (2016).
• Mentor at Will Rodgers School; Chief Operating Officer and Service and Philanthropy Director of Kappa Alpha Theta amongst other activities.

Kelsie Jackson, Schreiner University
Basketball

• Graduated as a Sports Management major with 3.42 GPA.
• 2016 SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree.
• Three-time All-SCAC performer (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16); First-team All-SCAC in 2015-16.
• SCAC All-Tournament Team (2016).
• American Southwest Conference All-Freshman Team (2012-13).
• Program's third all-time leading scorer; led team to school-record performances for both overall wins and conference wins and first-ever appearance in conference title game in 2015-16.
• Two-time winner of Schreiner University Female Athlete-of-the-Year (2014 and 2016). 
• President of Schreiner Sports Network (2014-15 and 2015-16); Volunteer with Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity amongst other organizations.

Kaitlyn Foster, Southwestern University
Volleyball

• Graduated as a Kinesiology major with 3.67 GPA.
• Three-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2013, 2014 and 2015).
• Four-time All-SCAC performer (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015); First-team All-SCAC in 2014 and 2015.
• SCAC Tournament MVP (2015).
• Three-time SCAC All-Tournament selection (2013, 2014 and 2015)
• First Team AVCA All-American (2015); Honorable Mention AVCA All-American (2013).
• Southwestern University/Dr. Carla Lowry Female Athlete-of-the-Year (2016).
• Two-time Southwestern University Volleyball Player-of-the-Year (2014 and 2015).
• AVCA National Player-of-the-Week (Week 6, 2015).
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (secretary); East View High School volunteer leader with Younglife; Research assistant with SCOPE amongst other activites.

Sioned Kirkpatrick, Texas Lutheran University
Soccer and Outdoor Track & Field

• Graduated with a dual major in Molecular Biology and Chemistry with 3.61 GPA.
• Three-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2013, 2014 and 2015).
• First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District (2015).
• Three-time All-SCAC Women's Soccer First-Team performer (2013, 2014 and 2015).
• SCAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player-of-the-Year (2015).
• American Southwest Conference Co-Freshman-of-the-Year (2012).
• Three-time SCAC All-Tournament selection (2013, 2014 and 2015).
• Third in program history at Texas Lutheran for goals scored (48) and total points (112); led team in scoring all four years.
• All-SCAC Track & Field - Javelin (2016).
• Newman Civic Fellow (community service); TLU Honors Program; Student-Athlete Advisory Committee; Volunteer with Dash for Disabled Veterans, Animal Rescue Foundation and Teatro de Artes amongst other organizations. 

Sofia Vega, Texas Lutheran University
Tennis

• Graduated as a Biology major; Spanish Studies minor with a 3.88 GPA.
• Three-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2014, 2015 and 2016).
• Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2015 and 2016).
• Four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
• Three-time SCAC Women's Tennis Player-of-the-Year (2014, 2015 and 2016).
• American Southwest Conference - West Division - Most Valuable Player (2013).
• Three-time All-SCAC (2014, 2015 and 2016).
• Two-time Texas Lutheran University Female Student-Athlete of the Year (2015 and 2016).
• Four-time Texas Lutheran University Women's Tennis MVP (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
• NCAA D3 West Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award (2016).
• Two-time ITA West Region Women's Singles Champion (2013 and 2014).
• ITA West Region Rookie-of-the-Year (2013).
• TLU Honors Program; Student-Athlete Advisory Committee; Work with National Alliance of Mental Illiness and Texas Academy of Science amongst other organizations. 

Brigette Lee, Trinity University
Golf

• Graduated with a dual major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a 3.97 GPA.
• Four-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)
• Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District (2014, 2015 and 2016).
• Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America (2015 and 2016).
• Three-time WGCA All-American Scholar (2013, 2014 and 2015).
• Four-time All-SCAC (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016); First-Team in 2013 and 2014.
• SCAC Women’s Golfer-of-the-Year (2013).
• SCAC Women’s Freshman Golfer-of-the-Year (2013).
• SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team (2016).
• Trinity University/Ian Thompson Award for Academic Excellence for Premedical Studies (2016).
• Vice-President (2014-15) and President (2015-16) of Trinity’s American Medical Student Association; Volunteer with Teen Medical Academy, Methodist Hospital, Faith Family Clinic and First Tee Golf Program amongst other organizations. 

The 2016 Southern Collegiate Athletic Woman of the Year, which will be selected and announced later this month, will be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will select the top 10 winners in each NCAA division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.